It all happened in the month of June

June 1, 1926 Marilyn Monroe was born in Los Angeles (as Norma Jean Mortensen). Following an unstable childhood spent in foster homes and orphanages, she landed a job as a photographer’s model which led to a movie career. She later married baseball legend Joe DiMaggio. She eventually succumbed to the pressures of Hollywood life, dying in Los Angeles from an overdose of sleeping pills on August 5, 1962. http://www.historyplace.com/specials/calendar/june.ht

June 2, 1740 Marquis de Sade was born in Paris. He was a military leader, governor-general, and author, whose acts of extreme cruelty and violence resulted in the term sadism being created from his name to describe gratification in inflicting pain. http://www.historyplace.com/specials/calendar/june.ht

June 3, 1989 – Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, leader of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, died. On February 1, 1979, after 15 years in exile, he had staged a triumphant return to Iran which led to the downfall of the Shah. Khomeini then reorganized the government on Islamic principles. http://www.historyplace.com/specials/calendar/june.ht

June 4, 1972 – An express train packed with more than 600 people rammed into a stalled train at full speed in the main station of Jessore, Bangladesh, killing 76 and injuring over 500 persons.

June 5, 1723 Adam Smith Scottish economist and philosopher was born in Kirkcaldy, Scotland. He wrote An Enquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, published in 1776. The book described the workings of a market economy and established him as one of the most influential figures in the development of modern economic theory. http://www.historyplace.com/specials/calendar/june.ht

June 7, 1692 Port Royal Jamaica was hit by an earthquake at 11:43 a.m. The quake which lasted for approximately 30 seconds, took the lives of about 3000 persons. Half of Port Royal was submerged 40 feet deep under water after powerful tremours, soil liquefaction and a tsumani. Thousands more died week after the quake, from illness and injury as a result of the quake. Port Royal at the time was known as the wickedest city on earth.

June 10, 1940 Marcus Garvey died in London, England. His remains later returned to Jamaica and interned at the National Heroes Park. Marcus Garvey is Jamaica’s first National Hero.

June 10, 1942 – In one of the most infamous single acts of World War II in Europe, all 172 men and boys over age 16 in the Czech village of Lidice were shot by Nazis in reprisal for the assassination of SS leader Reinhard Heydrich. The women were deported to Ravensbrück concentration camp where most died. Ninety young children were sent to the concentration camp at Gneisenau, with some later taken to Nazi orphanages if they were German looking. The village was then completely leveled until not a trace remained. http://www.historyplace.com/specials/calendar/june.ht

June 12, 1924 George Bush, the 41st U.S. President, was born in Milton, Massachusetts. During World War II, he became the youngest pilot in the U.S. Navy. Following the war, he co-founded a Texas oil equipment manufacturing company. He was elected to the presidency in 1988, and loss in the 1992 election to Bill Clinton. http://www.historyplace.com/specials/calendar/june.ht

June 16, 1963 Valentina Tereshkova, 26, became the first woman in space as her Soviet spacecraft, Vostok 6, took off from the Tyuratam launch site. She manually controlled the spacecraft completing 48 orbits in 71 hours before landing safely. http://www.historyplace.com/specials/calendar/june.ht

June 20, 1965 Martin Luther King Jr. visited Jamaica. During his presentation to the UWI graduates Rev Dr Martin Luther King said these words: “If it falls to our luck to be street-sweepers, sweep the streets, like Raphael painted pictures, like Michaelangelo carved marble, like Shakespeare wrote poetry, and like Beethoven composed music. Sweep the streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth would have to pause and say … …Here lived a great street sweeper.”

June 28 1906 German-American physicist Maria Goeppert Mayer was born in Kattowitz, Germany. She participated in the secret Manhattan Project, the building of the first atomic bomb. She later became the first American woman to win the Nobel Prize, sharing the 1963 prize for physics for works explaining atomic nuclei, known as the nuclear shell theory. http://www.historyplace.com/specials/calendar/june.ht

June 28, 1712 Philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) was born in Geneva, Switzerland. His book The Social Contract stated that no laws are binding unless agreed upon by the people, a concept that deeply affected the French. In his novel Emile he challenged harsh child-rearing methods of his day and argued that young people should be given freedom to enjoy sunlight, exercise and play. “Man is born free,” he wrote in The Social Contract, “and everywhere he is in chains.” http://www.historyplace.com/specials/calendar/june.ht

June 30, 1997 – In Hong Kong, the flag of the British Crown Colony was officially lowered at midnight and replaced by a new flag representing China’s sovereignty and the official transfer of power. http://www.historyplace.com/specials/calendar/june.ht

Music in Worship—Understanding the New Testament Perspective

In my recent blog, titled, “Music in the church is unacceptable?”, with edited contents retrieved from the website http://www.bebaptized.org/music.htm, a promise was made to delve into the Bible’s view (specifically the New Testament) on this subject, and also to get a proper interpretation and understanding. The following is an excerpt from the same website:

“If we are going to claim we are trying to restore the New Testament pattern of worship, then we can’t use instruments in worship and make that claim. We cannot claim, “We are going by the Bible.” There is no instrumental music used by the church in worship in the New Testament Scriptures. Period. There is only singing (i.e. a cappella singing—singing without the accompaniment of instrumental music) in the New Testament. The New Testament admonishes us to sing, sing, sing!”

In that same article, scripture is quoted from Ephesians 5:19, Colossians 3:16 to name a few in justification of this point. Essentially they follow a similar theme; as in Ephesians 5:19 – “As you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts…” The website’s interpretation of this verse is wrong and evidently misunderstood. Scripture cannot be taken out of isolation, and one must ascertain what actually led to Paul making this statement. Paul in his interaction with the various churches at the time presented most of his letters based on particular issues in the churches that were reported to him. Thus, he did not give these churches advice arbitrarily. Another thing is that, we have to go beyond the Bible sometimes, by way of proper research to understand what led to Paul addressing certain matters in the way he did. One must also bear in mind that not every detail as it happened at the time is included in the Bible.

This verse is making a comparison with the heathen feasts and the Christian practice. Paul was instructing the Ephesians church to praise God sincerely – from the depth of their hearts with psalms and hymns not merely with the tongue; let it be the melody from the heart and not from the music of the lyre. A comparison can be made with 1 Corinthians 14:15 – “So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind.”(Jamieson-fausset-brown, http://www.biblestudytools.com). This timely reminder is no different from how some of us worship God, where our hearts are not with it; just a matter of us going through the motions.

The article dismissed the use of musical instrument, referring to the New Testament and explained that this practice belonged to the old covenant and would therefore not apply to the new covenant since there is no mention of its use in the New Testament. To counteract this point, most churches are guided by the Old Testament in regards to matters such as tithing, adopting the ten percent rule. One must take note that there is nowhere in the New Testament, which commands us to give ten percent of our income as tithe, but we use this rule to guide our tithing. Additionally, Revelation 15:2 strengthens my point: “They held harps given them by God.” What will they do with the harp? Surely he has a purpose for it. In 1 Samuel, David, the man of God’s own heart did play his harp.

Further, the article stated the following:

“It is the church that needs to be brought into the world, not the other way around. Jesus commanded us to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation…” (Mark 16:15). He did not want the church to become watered down and polluted by the world. It is the church that is supposed to change those in the world, not those in the world that changes the church.”

In responding to this, reference can be made to Paul’s circumcision of Timothy (read my blog on Timothy). Paul was against circumcision of Gentiles, and thus rightly preached for the ‘circumcision’ of the heart instead. Apostle Paul went about Timothy’s circumcision in order to win the Jews over to Christianity. Paul did it for the sake of the gospel. Circumcision was a part of the old covenant and was not to be continued under the new covenant.

So if it is that the church is able to win the world by engaging in the playing of musical instruments, why not? There is nowhere in the Bible stating that this practice is abominable. It is a matter of placing our hearts where it really belongs, which is making our praise and worship be truly unto God and not just focused on some nice music or rhythm. Start somewhere, and pray that at some point the heart will be fully engaged – more than just instruments and a lip service in worshiping God. Christian maturity is a process! It takes time and varies with each individual. All of us did not get it all perfect from the start. It is only God himself who has the power to enable us through the working of the Holy Spirit in us.

Father Abraham

Abraham, referred to as the first Hebrew was born Abram in 1613 BCE, 1948 years after creation in Ur of the Chaldees, an ancient city of Mesopotamia. His father was Terah and his mother’s name was Amathlaah. Abraham is a direct descendant of Shem who was Noah’s son. Abraham two brothers were Nahor and Haran.

Abraham’s father, Terah was an idol worshipper and he was the chief officer of king Nimrod, also an idol worshipper of Babylon, the former land of the Chaldees. Abraham became the tenth generation from Noah. He was 58 years old when Noah died.

It is said that on the night before Abraham was born Nimrod’s astrologers who were at Terah’s house read from the constellation of stars that the newly born child would become the father of a mighty nation. Nimrod was informed about this finding, he was troubled that this child would one day become a threat to his empire.

Nimrod requested of Abraham’s father to carry the newly born baby to his palace to kill him. Terah tried to convince Nimrod to do otherwise but this did not work. Consequently, Terah substituted his son with a servant’s child born on the same day as Abraham, unsuspecting to Nimrod, who killed the baby with his hands. During this time baby Abraham was hidden in a cave with his mother and nurse. They remained there for ten years.

At the age of ten Abraham left the cave and went to live with Noah and Shem in the region of Ararat in Kedem. While there Noah and Shem taught him about God and God’s ways. Abraham learned quite a lot about the Flood from the same men who constructed the Ark and survived the Flood. Since Noah knew Methuselah for a number of years and the fact that Methuselah knew Adam, it meant that Abraham was able to gain a lot of knowledge of the things that took place since Creation. He stayed at Noah’s home until age 48 after spending nearly 39 years there.

It is also said that at the age of three, Abraham realized that worshipping the sun or any other idol was wrong. He believed in the existence of God through reasoning. By watching the movement of the sun and the moon giving way to each other and the stars, he reasoned that there must be some divine power that regulated and controlled them. He knew that there was a great God who created the whole world including the sun and the moon. Abraham was conscious of the fact that even though this great God was not seen, he sees and knows everything and is the King of the world, more powerful than Nimrod. Each day Abraham’s faith in God grew stronger. God then made Himself known to Abraham and taught him the right way of living. It was later that Abraham went to the house of Noah and Shem.

Abraham intolerance of the worship of idols by Nimrod and his father, Terah, led him to use an axe to destroy his father’s idols. This made Terah very angry with Abraham. Not remembering that he deceived Nimrod by exchanging another baby for Abraham, he went to king Nimrod and reported his son’s disrespect towards the gods.

As a consequence of Abraham’s action, Nimrod ordered that he be thrown into prison and condemned to death by fire.

Abraham had accused king Nimrod of plummeting his people to the idolatrous state of the generation before the Flood. Abraham made it clear that their court was powerless compared to the will of God, when he was condemned to die by fire. If it was not God’s wish for him to be killed in a furnace this can never happen, as it was God who gives the fire strength to burn.

With this courageous speech by Abraham everyone was eager to see what would happen when Abraham is placed in the fire. The result is that the fire did not harm Abraham, only the rope that bound him was burned.

The people, including Nimrod himself were amazed and could not believe what took place. Nimrod acknowledged that Abraham was speaking the truth and was indeed a man of God. Subsequently Nimrod sent Abraham back to his father’s house with many presents. Abraham was accompanied by men of noble descent who abandoned Nimrod and his rich court to live with Abraham and learned from Abraham about the true God.

He lived with his father until Nimrod sent for him again, this time intending to kill him secretly. But Abraham learned of this plot in time, and escaped to Noah’s house.

God saw that Abram was the only one who was righteous and God fearing. He blessed Abraham and promised him a land and to make him into a great nation (Genesis 12:7). “No longer shall your name be called Abram, but shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. God changed Abram’s “father exalted” name to “Abraham,” “father of a multitude” (Genesis 17:5) Abraham in obedience to God left to the Promised Land of Canaan where he built an altar to God.

Abraham married Sarah, then Keturah. Some scholars regarded Hagar as one of Abraham’s wife, who gave birth to Ishmael. Sarah (said to be his niece) had Isaac at the age of 90 and when Abraham was 100 years old (Genesis 17:17. Sarah “mother of nations”, her name was originally “Sarai,” meaning “my princess,” (Genesis 17:15).

Judaism, Christianity and Islam may be referred to as Abrahamic religions and are the only monotheistic faiths.

Abraham died at the age of 175 and was buried by his sons Isaac and Ishmael in a cave in the field of Ephron beside his wife Sarah. Genesis 25:7-8.

The non-biblical aspects of this article was retrieved from Chabad.org (information recorded in a number of places in Jewish tradition, among them: various Midrashim, Targumim (ancient Aramaic translations of the Torah with some commentary), and the works of Rashi and Maimonides).

Interesting inspirations as this one, and more from daily devotional – Devotions on the ROCK. The first edition available at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1978141696 in print and kindle.

Damage sugar cause to the body

Sugar is probably the most common commodity today, forming an ingredient in practically every consumable substance known.  Surprisingly sugar was almost unknown for thousands of years. It has proved to be damaging to the body and being an unnatural chemical it is devastating to our health. It is addictive, triggers weight gain, feeds cancer cells and advances premature aging, all of which leads to other chronic diseases.

Sugar crystals, a refined product produced from cane juice are deleterious to the human system. Possessing a delectable and seductive taste, sugar is habit forming, where persons develop a strong taste and an insatiable craving for it. The hidden danger of sugar is that the damage is slow. It takes years to ruin the pancreas, your adrenal glands, throws your whole endocrine system out of balance, and triggers a long list of damage, based on an article on the organicnutrition.co.uk website.

It is also difficult to accept that a lifetime of overeating sugar can result in your skin becoming dull and wrinkled. A natural process called glycation is responsible for this. The sugar in your blood stream attaches to proteins, forming harmful new molecules referred to as advanced glycation end products, AGEs for short. As you continue to eat more sugar this process advances. “As AGEs accumulate, they damage adjacent proteins in a domino-like fashion,” as explained by Fredric Brandt, MD, a dermatologist in Miami and New York and author of “10 Minutes 10 Years.”

Collagen and elastin, the protein fibers that keep skin firm and elastic are most vulnerable to damage. Collagen, which is the most prevalent protein in the body, once damaged, the springy and resilient collagen and elastin become dry and brittle causing wrinkles and sagging. According to Brandt, AGEs deactivate the body’s natural antioxidant enzymes, making you more prone to sun damage, which is still the chief cause for skin aging. “Depending on how well their disease is controlled diabetics can have up to 50 times the number of AGEs in their skin as those who don’t have diabetes,” as explained by Karyn Grossman, MD, a dermatologist and chief of division of dermatology at St. John’s Hospital in Santa Monica.

Sugar presents extremely harmful effect by creating an imbalanced endocrine system and injuring its component glands such as the adrenal glands, pancreas and the liver, causing considerable fluctuation of the blood sugar level. Sugar makes it difficult to lose weight because of constantly high insulin levels, which causes the body to store excess carbohydrate as fat. It is a significant or contributory cause of mental illness, depression, heart disease, arteriosclerosis, hypertension, senility and cancer.

Dental deterioration, including cavities, bleeding gums, loss of teeth and failure of bone structure is predominantly caused by sugar. It makes the blood very thick and sticky, hindering much of the blood flow into the tiny capillaries that supply your gums and teeth with essential nutrients. The result is diseased gums and starving teeth. United States of America and England, the largest sugar consumers, have horrendous dental problems.

Refined sugar loses all nutrients in the refinement process. This causes the body to deplete its own stores of vitamins, minerals and enzymes. If more sugar is consumed an over-acid condition results and more minerals are needed from deep in the body to correct the imbalance. If the body lacks the nutrients used to metabolize sugar, it will not have the ability to properly handle and eliminates the poisonous residues, according to the macrobiotics.co.uk website on sugar. The brain and nervous system accumulate these wastes, which speeds up cellular death. The bloodstream becomes over-loaded with waste products and presents symptoms of carbonic poisoning.

Other harmful effects of sugar on the body are increased hyperactivity of children, increased chronic fatigue, PMS symptoms and an overgrowth of candida yeast organism. Sugar also contributes to anxiety and irritability and can intensify symptoms of anxiety and panic in susceptible women. Sugar on a whole is bad nutrition and indulgence will develop poor dietary habits, the end result being damaging.

Timothy

Timothy, a child of the Bible. Timotheos – Greek name meaning honouring God.

Timothy was raised by his devout mother, Eunice and grandmother, Loida (Lois). From a very tender age they taught Timothy the Word of God. His mother was a Jew while his father was a Greek.

Based on scripture Timothy can be placed as a child at the time when he was mentioned in the Bible; referencing 2 Timothy 3:15 – “From a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”

Timothy was a supporter, companion and mentee of the Apostle Paul, and is said to have started out with Paul as a teenager, learning from Paul’s preaching and teaching of God’s Word. Paul was a source of inspiration for Timothy and encouraged him to be faithful to the gospel; as stated in 1Timothy 6:20, Timothy was encouraged to… “Guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have wandered from the faith.” In Paul’s salutations to Timothy he describes him as: “My loyal child of the faith” and “My beloved child” – 1 and 2 Timothy 2.

Paul met Timothy in Lystra of Lycaonia in Asia Minor (now Turkey) where Timothy lived (Acts 16:1). The text described Timothy as well spoken of by the brethren of Lystra and Iconium – verse 2. It was Paul’s wish for Timothy to accompany him on his missionary journeys, but for this to happen he got him circumcised because of the Jews in that area who knew that Timothy’s father was a Greek. He would not be accepted as a Jew even though his mother was a Jew and he was brought up as a Jew. Timothy’s father disallowed his circumcision as an infant.

Even though Paul preached against circumcision of Gentiles, the decision to circumcise Timothy was a strategy to win the Jews, ultimately for the sake of the gospel and saving souls. Timothy was also consecrated for the work through ordination by prayer and the laying of hands – “Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery” (1 Timothy 4:14).

Timothy remained with Paul throughout his missionary journeys, which took them to Macedonia, Achaia, Ephesus and he was one of the delegates appointed to Jerusalem. Both Paul and Timothy along with Silas also worked in the region of Galatia and the Churches in Thessalonica, Phillippi and Berea. Timothy also spent some time with Paul in Corinth. He assisted Paul in the planting of churches, strengthening the faith of the saints and dealing with the misconduct of the believers. Timothy was Paul’s aide for the times he was imprisoned and he represented Paul in the various churches during those moments. Timothy rose to become the first Bishop of Ephesus being appointed by Apostle Paul when he was about to depart to Macedonia.

Timothy, as mentioned in Hebrews 13:23, was jailed for the sake of the gospel – “I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been released from jail. If he comes here soon, I will bring him with me to see you. ”Additionally, based on scripture Timothy had frequent illnesses as mentioned in 1Timothy 5:23 – “Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.”

It was Paul’s expectations that young Timothy continues the work of spreading the gospel of Christ – “Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have declared so well before many witnesses” – 1 Timothy 6:12.

Finally, according to the apocryphal Acts of Timothy, he died a martyr while he attempted to halt a festival celebration in Ephesus where idols were honoured. St. Timothy, as a consequence of preaching the Gospel of Christ was beaten and pulled into the streets by the angry pagans and stoned to death at age 80 in the year 93 as the Bishop of Ephesus.

Child abuse… What the Bible says?

Child abuse has been happening around us from time immemorial and in all strata of society. In many cases the abusers themselves were abused. Consequently, different types of child abuse are replicated from generation to generation. The learnt behaviour is handed down in the form of – physical, sexual or emotional (verbal) abuse. Often child abuse, in particularly sexual abuse is a hush hush in families where the acts are perpetrated, and even if known within the community that the victim exists, members remain silent – a reluctance to make a report to the police. Here in Jamaica, however recent reports suggest that despite earlier reticence, Jamaicans are carrying out their responsibility under the law, to report to the authorities when they see or have reason to believe that children are being ill-treated, according to former Children’s Advocate, Mary Clarke. It could also be said that more of these child abuse cases are coming to light due to the gruesome killings, which continue to spark outrage and create alarm bells all around.

According to the Jamaica Observer Newspaper of December 3, 2013, more than 8,000 cases of child abuse were reported between January and August of 2013. This is the disturbing figure coming out to the Office of the Children’s Advocate (OCA), which also revealed that it is contacted every 30 minutes with an allegation of ill-treatment.

Further from home, the National Statistics on Child Abuse reported that in 2013, an estimated 1,520 children died from abuse and neglect in the United States. In the same year, Children’s Advocacy Centers around the country served nearly 295,000 child victims of abuse, providing victim advocacy and support to these children and their families. In 2014, this number was over 315,000.

It must be noted that a significant number of child abuse cases are carried out by parents, step-parents, other relatives or persons known to the victim.

Our children are at the mercy of their predators who launch daily attacks of sexual, emotional and physical abuse. Children are murdered and are also neglected by their parents or guardians. Given the statistical facts and speculations in some cases there appears to be more questions than answers. We ask… How long Lord…? Nevertheless as the agony prolongs we cannot lose hope. God’s answer to us in our trials and tribulations comes through his Word… the Bible. So we must acknowledge and take note of the special place that children hold in his kingdom, where the innocent and humble belong. Only these of such character are qualified to enter. “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (Mark 10:14). Verse 16: “Then He took the children in His arms and blessed them.” Take heart.

All perpetrators – “Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven” – Matthew 18:10.

God’s Word will not return to Him void. In Matthew 18:6 there are dire consequences -“But who so shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and [that] he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”

Children are a blessing to God and to us. Psalm 127:3 reminds us that, “Children are a heritage of the Lord the fruit of the womb and His reward.”

Finally and significantly, there are some things that we should not do or say, and things we must strive to do for the benefit of our children: Do not “exasperate” or provoke your children, but to bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord – Ephesians 6:4. Speak the truth in love and use our words to build others up, not allow rotten or destructive words to pour from our lips, especially toward the tender hearts and minds of children – Ephesians 4:15–19.

Children Safety and Security

Children Safety and Security
Child Month 2015 is celebrated under the theme ‘Children Safety and Security – Our Priority.’ This theme is aimed at encouraging parents and guardians to give their children the necessary information and teach them the skills to keep them safe on the road, in their interactions with adults and more. From the Office of the Children’s Advocate (OCA) – (Jamaica) to help keep your child safe from predators:
1. Teach children the name of their genitals in the same way they are taught their other body parts; that way, they can learn that even though their genitals are private, they are not too private so as not to be spoken about.
2. Teach your children that no one has the right to touch them; also, teach them the difference between a ‘good touch’ and a ‘bad touch’.
3. Teach your children early and often that there should be no secrets between them and their parents. Make them feel comfortable about talking about anything with you, whether it’s good or bad.
4. Beware of adults who offer your children special gifts or toys. Also, beware of adults who want to take your children on trips or outings.
5. Do not write your child’s name prominently on clothes, school bags or any other piece of clothing which is clearly visible to everyone.
6. Make your children understand that a stranger is anyone he or she does not know well, even people they may recognize, like a postman or an ice cream vendor, is still a stranger. Help them to understand that someone can be a stranger even if they look nice or if they know the child’s name.
7. As the child ages, create an environment where age-appropriate sexual topics can be discussed comfortably. Use news items and publicized reports of child abuse to start discussions about safety.
8. If your child tells you that he or she has been sexually abused, listen carefully and take the disclosure seriously.
9. Support your child and let them know that he or she is not responsible for the abuse.
10. If you have concerns that your child is a victim of abuse, talk to your child’s paediatrician, a social worker or counsellor, or the police. These individuals can discuss your concerns and arrange for examination of the child

http://digjamaica.com/blog/2015/05/01/child-month-2015-keeping-our-children-safe/

It all happened in the month of May

May 1, 1981: Montego Bay was officially named the second city of Jamaica, behind Kingston, in 1981, although Montego Bay became a city in 1980 through an act of the Jamaican Parliament.

May 4, 1979: Margaret Thatcher was Great Britain’s first female prime minister, serving three consecutive terms in office 1979–1990.

May 5, 1494: Christopher Columbus, the European explorer, on his second voyage to the West Indies, sailed west to get to the East Indies and came upon the region now called the West Indies and landed in Jamaica.

May 10, 1655: Admiral William Penn and General Robert Venables led a successful attack on Jamaica. The Spaniards surrendered to the English, freed their slaves and then fled to Cuba. It was this set of freed slaves and their descendants who became known as the Maroons. http://jis.gov.jm/information/jamaican-history/

May 10, 1960: Merlene Ottey was born on this day; Birthplace: Hanover, Jamaica. In the 1980 Moscow games, Merlene Ottey became the first female English-speaking Caribbean athlete to win an Olympic medal.

May 13, 1981: The first attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II took place in St. Peter’s Square at Vatican City. The Pope was shot and wounded by Mehmet Ali Ağca while he was entering the square. He was struck four times, and suffered severe blood loss. The Pope later forgave Ağca for the assassination attempt. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_John_Paul_II_assassination_attempt

May 15, 1982: Veronica Campbell-Brown born on this day; Birthplace: Trelawny, Jamaica. Five-time Olympic medalist. http://www.vipattractions.com/jamaican-sports.php

May 18, 1923: Hugh Shearer was born in Martha Brae, a village just outside Falmouth, Trelawny. His parents were James Shearer a World War One ex-serviceman, and Esther Lindo, a dressmaker. http://www.vipattractions.com/page.php?pageid=312

May 25, 1920: Arthur Wint born on this day. Birthplace: Manchester, Jamaica. First Jamaican Olympic gold medalist, winning the 400m at the 1948 Olympics.

May 28, 1930: The Most Hon. Edward Seaga born in Boston, Massachusetts, of Jamaican parents travelling then, and brought home when he was three months old. http://www.vipattractions.com/page.php?pageid=312

May 28, 1956: Cricketer, Jeffrey Dujon born on this day; Birthplace: Kingston, Jamaica. Test Career: 1981 – 1992. As a batsman he scored nearly 10,000 runs at an average approaching 40 runs per innings.

Music in the church is unacceptable?

It is an historical fact that instrumental use in the worship service did not come about for roughly 650-700 years after the church had been established. The early church fathers railed against such a thought as using an instrument in worship. Even the Reformers from 500 or so years ago could not stand the thought of instrumental music in worship.

Several hundred years ago many other denominations shared the same convictions regarding instrumental music in church. Hundreds of years ago, this was not a unique “church of Christ” belief and practice. It was a widely held belief in many different denominations.

These statements are from the founders of the Lutheran, Reformed and Methodist churches:

Martin Luther: “An organ in the worship of God is an ensign of Baal.”

John Calvin: “Musical instruments in the celebration of praises of God would be no more suitable than the burning of incense, the lighting of lamps, and the restoration of other shadows of the law…men who are fond of outward pomp may delight in such noise; but the simplicity which God recommends to us by the apostles is far more pleasing.”

John Wesley: “I have no objection to instruments of music in our chapels, provided they are neither seen or heard.”

Charles Spurgeon (Baptist): “What a degradation to supplant the intelligent song of the whole congregation by the theatrical prettiness of a quartet, bellows, and pipes! We might as well pray by machinery as praise by it.”

Adam Clarke (Methodist): “I am an old man, and an old minister; and I here declare that I never knew them productive of any good in the worship of God; and have had reason to believe that they were productive of much evil. Music, as a science, I esteem and admire: but instruments of music in the house of God, I abominate and abhor. This is the abuse of music; and here I register my protest against all such corruptions in the worship of the Author of Christianity,”

http://www.bebaptized.org/music.htm

In June blogs we look at what the Bible says on this matter.

Natural Disasters – Who is responsible?

Natural disasters have hit us hard in various forms, especially in recent times. Whether it is a hurricane which is seasonal and where preparations can be made, or disasters such as earthquakes and tornadoes which happen unexpectedly, they all come with their fair share of problems. Therefore, we should be alert at all times and in full preparation where necessary. The question is: Could some of these natural disasters be avoided? The environmentalists may answer in the affirmative for disasters such as hurricanes.

God created the universe with everything so well thought out and so balanced, it often baffles the mind. He strategically placed man over the animals, plants and all creatures large and small; all named with the ability to provide balance and conservation of His well laid out plan. His creation is a testimony of His existence. There is so much to marvel about – countless species of magnificently flowered plants and trees, often ruffled by the cool breeze. The lush green vegetation and spectacular mountainous ranges give an account of His rich sunshine and appreciable rain. Therapeutic springs, streams, soothing sound of the river flowing through woods and forests, warmly penetrated by rays of sunlight. The pleasures we gain from long stretches of white sandy beaches delivering strong powerful waves, literally grabbing and caressing everyone in its path. The enhanced value of just a view of the ocean is more than we could bargain for. This entire splendour at times simply leaves us in awe!

He has blessed us with all this and much more. He then gave us the task to manage His creation. How can we honestly appraise ourselves? What is the verdict? The verdict rests substantially in our experiences with nature, encountered during the hurricane season. We must therefore plead guilty to the charge of not caring for our environment. This has resulted in devastating consequences such as loss of life, loss and damage to property and the inevitable pain and suffering.

We are still journeying on this stormy path. Take a look at our erroneous moves – indiscriminate use of plastics, air pollution, acts of deforestation, littering and many more. We are now faced with some new phenomena such as global warming and climate change. The saga continues… What is next?